All Questions
Tagged with arithmetic-geometry rational-points
69 questions
7
votes
0
answers
141
views
Average number of $\mathbb{F}_p$-points over twists of a variety
Let $p \gg 1$ be a sufficiently large prime. I recently stumbled across a fascinating fact about the number of $\mathbb{F}_p$-points on elliptic curves over finite fields. Specifically, we have:
Fact ...
2
votes
1
answer
300
views
An example of a geometrically simply connected variety with infinite Brauer group (modulo constants)
$\DeclareMathOperator\Br{Br}$Let $X$ be a smooth, geometrically integral, geometrically simply connected variety over a numberfield $k$. Is it possible to have $\Br(X)/{\Br(k)}$ being an infinite ...
4
votes
1
answer
917
views
Does this conic have a rational point?
Consider the conic
$$C = \{X^2+uY^2+vZ^2=0\}\subset\mathbb{P}^2_{\mathbb{Q}(u,v)}$$
over the function field $\mathbb{Q}(u,v)$.
Does $C$ have a $\mathbb{Q}(u,v)$-rational point?
3
votes
1
answer
303
views
Leading constant in Batyrev-Tschinkel's refinement of Manin conjecture
Background: Let $X$ be a Fano variety over number field $K$, where its anticanonical bundle $K_X^{-1}$ is ample. Let $i: X \to \mathbb{P}^n$ be the anticanonical embedding, where $K_X^{-m} \cong i_*O(...
3
votes
0
answers
170
views
Smoothness of height in Manin conjecture
Set up: Let $K$ be a number field. Let $M_K$ be the places of $K$, and define the standard height on $\mathbb{P}^n(K)$ as
$$H([x_0, \cdots, x_n]) = \prod_{v \in M_K} \max\{|x_0|_v, \cdots, |x_n|_v\}$$
...
5
votes
2
answers
572
views
Birational geometry over finite fields
I apologize in advance since probably my questions are very naive. I would like to understand some central notions in birational geometry, that are clear to me over the complex numbers, for varieties ...
3
votes
1
answer
719
views
Number of points of a quadric hypersurface over a finite field
Let $k = \mathbb{F}_q$ be a finite field with $q$ elements and $Q\subset\mathbb{P}^n_k$ a quadric hypersurface defined over $k$.
By the Chevalley-Warning theorem if $n\geq 2$ then $Q$ has a point. Is ...
3
votes
1
answer
309
views
Smooth surfaces in positive characteristic
Let $K = \mathbb{F}_p$ be a field of positive characteristic $p > 0$. Consider a surface in $\mathbb{A}^3_K$ of the following form
$$
S = \{f_1(x_0)y_0^2+f_2(x_0)y_0y_1+f_3(x_0)y_0+f_4(x_0)y_1^2+...
2
votes
1
answer
261
views
Rational points on a special class of surfaces
Consider a smooth surface of the following form
$$
S = \{f(x,y,t) = p_0(t)x^2+p_1(t)xy+p_2(t)x+p_3(t)y^2+p_4(t)y+p_5(t) = 0\}\subset\mathbb{A}^3
$$
over $\mathbb{Q}$, and set
$$
U_S = \{t' \in \mathbb{...
-1
votes
1
answer
131
views
Does this quadratic system admit an integral or a rational solution?
Let $a,b$ be coprime and say $0<a<b<2a$.
Consider the quadratic system:
$$\alpha\delta-\beta\gamma=1$$
$$(\alpha^2-(\alpha\delta+\beta\gamma))a^2b+\beta^2b^3+(2\alpha\beta-\beta\delta)ab^2-\...
4
votes
1
answer
252
views
Finding the $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{6})$-rational points on the twist of $X_{0}(26)$
Let $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{6})$. I am looking to determine all $K$-rational points on the curve
$$C: y^{2}=3x^6-24x^5+24x^4-54x^3+24x^2-24x+3.$$
More precisely, $C$ is a twist of the modular curve $X_{0}(...
4
votes
1
answer
322
views
Del Pezzo surfaces of degree four and complete intersections of two quadrics
Let $X = Q_1\cap Q_2$ be a complete intersection of two smooth quadrics, over a field $K$, in $\mathbb{P}^4$ with homogeneous coordinates $y_0,y_1,y_2,y_3,y_4$.
Set $Q_1 = \{F_1 = 0\}$ and $Q_2 = \{...
5
votes
1
answer
576
views
Lines on quadric surfaces
Consider a smooth quadric surface $Q\subset\mathbb{P}^3$ over a field $k$. Are there natural hypotheses one can put on $k$ in order to ensure the existence of a line defined over $k$ on $Q$?
3
votes
1
answer
401
views
Rational points of bounded height on a variety
I would like to ask for some clarification on the following argument which I can not quite understand.
There is a variety $X$ of dimension $n$ over a number field with a degree two map $f:X\...
4
votes
0
answers
129
views
Statistics about existence of rational points on a curve over $\mathbb{F}_q$
I wish to ask the naive question: if we write down a random curve $C$ over $\mathbb{F}_q$, what can be said about the probability that $C(\mathbb{F}_q)=\emptyset$?
Of course, this depends on the ...
10
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Possible groups of K-rational points for elliptic curves over arbitrary fields
It is known that the group $C(\Bbb R)$ has at most two connected components, and the connected component of the identity is isomorphic to $U(1)$ as a topological group (trivially) and $C(\Bbb Q)$ is ...
22
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Rational points on a sphere in $\mathbb{R}^d$
Call a point of $\mathbb{R}^d$ rational if all its $d$ coordinates are rational numbers.
Q1.
Are the rational points dense on the unit sphere $S :\; x_1^2 +\cdots+ x_d^2 = 1$, i.e. does $S$ ...
10
votes
4
answers
2k
views
What is the smallest sphere whose surface includes 100 integer points?
Let $S(r)$ be the surface of the origin-centered sphere in $\mathbb{R}^3$.
A point is an integer point if all its coordinates are integers.
What is the smallest radius $r_n$ such that $S(r_n)$ ...
0
votes
1
answer
199
views
Maximum dimension of a simultaneous anisotropic subspace of quadratic forms over $ \mathbb{Q} $
Let $(V,q )$ be a quadratic space over $ \mathbb{Q} $. A subspace $ U $ is called totally isotropic if $ q(x) = 0 $ for all $ x \in U $ and a subspace $ U $ is called an anisotropic subspace if $ ...
20
votes
3
answers
2k
views
what is the maximum number of rational points of a curve of genus 2 over the rationals
Conjecturally, there exists an integer $n$ such that the number of rational points of a genus $2$ curve over $\mathbf{Q}$ is at most $n$. (This follows from the Bombieri-Lang conjecture.)
We are ...
4
votes
0
answers
195
views
Rational points on ramified coverings of abelian varieties
Let $K$ be a number field $A$ an abelian variety over $K$ and $f: X \to A$ a possibly ramified covering of degree $d$ with $X$ a proper variety. My question is:
Suppose that $f(X(K)) \neq A(K)$, can ...
11
votes
5
answers
4k
views
How much do I need to learn algebraic geometry to understand arithmetics over number fields
I am at the stage of learning. Mostly, I am attracted by algebraic number theory. Roughly speaking, I am interested in the rational points of algebraic varieties. I am little bit afraid to start to ...
17
votes
1
answer
349
views
Why should the number of $\mathbb{F}_q$ points on degree $d$ curves $C\subset \mathbb{P}_{\mathbb{F}_q}^n$ decrease as $n$ increases?
This question concerns some counterintuitive results (to me at least) regarding the number of points on a projective curve over a finite field. Namely, if one fixes the degree of the curve, but ...
20
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Rational points on the "quintic circle" $x^5 + y^5 = 7$
I suspect that the curve $x^5 + y^5=7$ has no $\mathbb Q$ points, and a brief computer search verifies this hypothesis for denominators up to $10^4$. What techniques can be used to show that there are ...
5
votes
0
answers
303
views
2-descent on elliptic curves, and units modulo squares of units
Setup: Let $p$ be a prime, let $f(x) \in \mathbb{Q}_p[x]$ be a separable monic cubic polynomial cutting out the maximal order $\mathcal{O}_{K_f}$ in the etale algebra $K_f := \mathbb{Q}_p[x]/(f(x))$, ...
6
votes
0
answers
233
views
Rational points on varieties whose anticanonical bundle is nef but not ample
Is the following plausible?
"If $X$ is a variety over $\mathbf{Q}$ whose anticanonical bundle $L$ is nef but not ample, there is a number field $K$ such that $X(K)$ contains an infinite set of ...
10
votes
0
answers
217
views
Are the nonnegative rationals diophantine with only two quantifiers?
Definition: A subset $D\subseteq \mathbb{Q}$ is diophantine if it is the projection of the zero set of a polynomial, i.e. there exists a polynomial $f\in\mathbb{Q}[X,Y_1,\dots,Y_n]$ for some $n$ such ...
2
votes
1
answer
187
views
Is every sufficiently general monic quartic rational square infinitely often?
Let $f(x)=x^4+b_3 x^3+ b_2 x^2+b_1 x + b_0$.
Let $g(x)=x^4 f(1/x)$. Let $C : g(x)=y^2$.
$C$ is birationally equivalent to $f(x)=y^2$.
The constant coefficient of $g(x)$ is $1$ since $f$ is monic
and $(...
1
vote
0
answers
194
views
Brauer-Manin obstruction and affine curves
I'm looking for references that can justify to what extent is the following statement true:
Statement. Let $X$ be a smooth geometrically integral curve over a number field $k$. Then the Brauer-Manin ...
2
votes
0
answers
198
views
Finding rational points via birational map
Let $C$ be an affine curve given by $p_C(x,y)=0$ where $$ p_C=2x^3y + 2xy^3 +x^3 + y^3 + 5x^2y + 5xy^2 + 2x^2 + 2y^2 + 2x^2y^2 + 2xy $$
and let $\overline{C}$ denote the projective closure of $C$. For ...
7
votes
1
answer
218
views
Subfields of Hilbertian fields
This question is about the Remark on the top of page 22 of Serre's Topics in Galois Theory, available here :
http://www.ms.uky.edu/~sohum/ma561/notes/workspace/books/serre_galois_theory.pdf
My ...
2
votes
1
answer
188
views
Criterion for existence of integral points on an elliptic curve
Is there a criterion for the (presumably infinite) set of $D \in \mathbb{Z}\setminus \{0\}$ such that
$$Dy^2 = x^3-1728$$
has an integral point over $\mathbb{Q}$ with $y \neq 0$? I'd also be ...
5
votes
0
answers
184
views
Given a point $P$ on a genus-$1$ curve over $\mathbb{Q}_p$, is there an $R$ such that $2 \mid [P - R]$ and $x(\overline{P}) \neq x(\overline{R})$?
Let $p \in \mathbb{Z}$ be prime, and let $f \in \mathbb{Z}_p[x]$ be a quartic polynomial with nonzero discriminant. Let $C/\mathbb{Q}_p$ be the genus-$1$ curve with affine equation $y^2 = f(x)$. Let $\...
16
votes
0
answers
275
views
Why should an abelian variety with few places of bad reduction and a lot of endomorphisms not have many points?
In the paper "Points of Order 13 on Elliptic Curves" by Mazur-Tate, they say in the introduction:
It seemed ... that if such an abelian variety $J$, which has bad reduction at only one ...
16
votes
2
answers
503
views
Number of height-limited rational points on a circle
Consider origin-centered circles $C(r)$ of radius $r \le 1$.
I am seeking to learn how many rational points might lie on $C(r)$,
where each rational point coordinate has height $\le h$.
For example, ...
3
votes
2
answers
445
views
primes of multiplicative reduction for elliptic curves with rational $\ell$-torsion
Very recently, I made an observation from scanning lists of elliptic curves on the LMFDB that leads me to the following (unproven) statement:
Fix $\ell \in \{5, 7\}$. Let $E$ be an elliptic curve ...
11
votes
1
answer
702
views
Galois Representations and Rational Points
Suppose $X$ and $Y$ are two connected smooth projective varieties over $\mathbb{Q}$ (of the same dimension) that have the same $\ell$-adic Galois representations (up to semisimplification). What is ...
8
votes
0
answers
135
views
Distribution of rational points in the real locus of a planar algebraic curve
Let $C$ be a smooth projective geometrically connected curve over $\mathbb{Q}$. Assume that $g(C)=3$ and that $C$ is not hyperelliptic. Then the canonical sheaf defines a closed immersion $C\to\mathbb{...
3
votes
0
answers
339
views
Integral points on affine varieties
Consider Siegel's theorem. It says that for a smooth affine algebraic curve $C$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ such that $g(C)>0$ any model $\mathcal{C}$ of $C$ over $\mathbb{Z}$ has finitely many $\mathbb{Z}$-...
4
votes
1
answer
328
views
Submersion implies many rational points in image?
Let $A \colon V \to W$ be a surjective linear map
(defined over $\mathbb{Z}$),
inducing a projection
$\alpha \colon \mathbb{P}(V) \to \mathbb{P}(W)$.
Let $X \subseteq \mathbb{P}(V)$ and $Y \...
7
votes
1
answer
557
views
Does Chabauty-Coleman method give an algorithm for finding rational points?
Let $X$ be a curve of genus $g\geq 2$ over a number field $K$. If $\mathrm{rk} \,\mathrm{Jac}\, X$ is less than $g$ there is a $p$-adic method of bounding $\# X(K)$ due to Chabauty and Coleman (see ...
0
votes
0
answers
279
views
Computing the genus of a plane curve
Let $b(x)=x^4 + 3x^3 + 3x^2 + 2x + 1$, and let $a(x)\in \mathbb Z[x]$ be a separable polynomial. Let $C$ be the plane curve defined by $(y^2+(x+x^2+x^3)a(x))^2-a(x)^2b(x)=0$. I would need to show that ...
2
votes
1
answer
657
views
Rational points on open subsets of affine space [closed]
Let $k$ be an infinite field. Assume that the index of the algebraic closure $\bar{k}$ over $k$ is strictly greater than $2$. Let $U$ be a non-empty open subset of some affine space over $k$. Is it ...
9
votes
1
answer
962
views
Average height of rational points on a curve
I am seeking a formalism to define the average height of
the rational points on a curve. This is straightforward
if the number of points is finite, but (to me) not straightforward
when the rational ...
6
votes
1
answer
185
views
If $X$ is a genus $g\geq 2$ curve over a number field $K$, then is there a bound on $X_L(L)$ for $L/K$ that depends only on $X$ and $[L:K]$?
If $X$ is a genus $g\geq 2$ curve over a number field $K$, then $X(K)$ is finite by Falting's Theorem. My question is how does $X_L(L)$ behave for finite field extensions $L/K$? In particular, is ...
6
votes
0
answers
438
views
Brauer-Manin obstruction to surfaces of Kodaira dimension 1
Roughly speaking, the Kodaira dimension is an invariant of a variety that corresponds to curvature. One can show that curves of genus $\geq 2$ have Kodaira dimension 1 using Riemann-Roch. In Corollary ...
10
votes
3
answers
683
views
Circles avoiding rational points of height $\le h$
Q. Which origin-centered circles $C(r)$ (or spheres in dimension $d$)
of radius $r < 1$ avoid all rational points
of height $\le h$?
A rational point is a point all of whose coordinates are ...
2
votes
2
answers
440
views
Rational points on towers of curves
Let $\ldots \to X_n \to X_{n-1} \to \ldots \to X_0$ be etale maps between smooth projective curves of genera $g(X_n)>1$, all defined over a fixed number field $K$. By Faltings' Theorem, we know ...
5
votes
1
answer
825
views
Understanding Siegel's Theorem on integral points
Siegel's theorem states the following:
Let $C$ be a smooth projective curve over a number field $K$. Let $\tilde C\subset C$ be an open affine subvariety, and $i:\tilde C\hookrightarrow \mathbb{A}^...
17
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Rational points à la Chabauty-Coleman
I have been trying to learn the method of Chabauty and Coleman to find rational points on curves; I have been reading an exposition by McCallum and Poonen which was pointed out to me by Emerton in ...